Folding chair



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

- H. MILLER. FOLDING CHAIR.

Patented Jan. 6,1891.

Wyn/55.55 JM Z/V YW? (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' H. MILLER.

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 444,101. Patented Jan. 6,1891.

, UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MILLER, OF CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,101, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed November 12, 1889. Serial No. 330,043. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY MILLER, of Chappaqua, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have-invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

- My improved chair has a tilting back mounted on springs-adapted to yield easily to a small extent, but increasing the resistance rapidly as the displacement is increased. The entire back is capable of being folded forward upon the seat, but is efficiently guarded against a too great inclination rearward. The rear legs are joined together and crossbraced to constitute a folding frame having rigidity laterally, but capable when it is desired to fold the chair of being partially revolved on'its pivot or axis of motion by being swung backward, upward, and forward, coming to rest in a position nearly or quite parallel to the seat. I provide hinged braces with peculiar provisions for locking them reliably to hold the chair extended. The front legs constitute another folding frame capable of being swung backward into or near the plane of the seat. I provide for bracing the front legs from the rear ones. Most of the parts may be of rolled iron or steel.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the chair in condition for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the chair in the same condition. Fig. 2 represents the back in a condition forced backward, as it will be when the sitter leans strongly back in the chair. Fig. 3 is a side view of the chair in its folded condition. The'remaining figures are on a larger scale. Fig. t is a horizontal section through a portion of the seat-frame. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the locking-pin, the dotted lines in Fig. 6 showing the hinged part standing out at right angles to the remaining portion. Fig. 7 is a rear view in perspective, showing the chair adjusted for use, with the upright springs bent backward as in use. Certain portions are broken away to better show the construction.

I Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

A is a rigid seat, certain parts of which will be designated, when necessary, by supernumerals.

A' are slightly-curved stringers of wood.

A are correspondingly-curved pieces of sheet iron or steel, and A are straight cross-slats secured upon the stringers A.

A is a cross-brace of sheet metal extending across under the front of the seat.

A is a cross-piece of sheet metal extending across under the rear edge of the seat with its ends upturned and strongly riveted. This, in addition to its strengthening the chair generally, forms by its upturned ends abutments for the short arms of the back now to be described.

B B are folding uprights constituting the sides of the back, pivoted to the slightlyraised rear ends of the parts A A short portion B of each upright B extends beyond the pivots b. WVhen the main portion B is extended upward, inclining backward to a sufiicient degree to serve as a back for the chair, the arms B strike against the adja-' cent edges of the brace A and resist any further turning. A slightly-curved web 13 is riveted on the inner face of each upright B by means of lugs B and rivets 11 A springarm B is held on the front face of each curved web B by means of rivets b 19 These springs 13 are a little longer than the curved webs B and each is provided at its upper end with an eye which receives apivot 0, formed on the end of a cross-spring O, on which latter is secured by rivets d a latticed frame D, which is formed by properly curved and united members constituting the effective portion of the back. Thisportion D O is free to tilt on the pivots 0, carried in the upper ends of the springs B".

When the chair is in use and the occupant leans back strongly against the back 0 D, it can tilt freely, and all the parts of the structure D O can spring slightly, and the whole yields backward by the flexure of the springs 13*. The relation of these springs to the curved webs B is such that as the springs are deflected backward each bears against a larger and larger portion of the corresponding web B thus causing'the spring to stiffen rapidly as it is deflected backward. hen forced back to the fullest possible eaten t, the arms or springs I bear against the curved webs 13 throughout the whole extent of the latter. The whole back, including the uprights B, the transverse spring 0, and the latticed frame D, may all be folded forward upon the seat when desired.

E E are the back legs. They are capable of partially revolving on the pivots b, and are connected by horizontal braces E and diagonal braces E to constitute a frame.

F F are hinged braces pivoted to the back legs E. The other end of each is perforated, and when the chair is to be used is inserted in a narrow recess on the outer face of the corresponding stringer A, and is secured by a removable pin, which is inserted through both this stringer and the outer facing A The body or effective portion of each pin is marked G. Its outer end is formed with a 'head G,and its inner en d with a hinge Giwhieh connects itto an extension G. When the pin is inserted, the hinge G comes just within the inner face of the stringer A. There is a sufficientrecess formed in the inner edge of this stringer to allow the hinged part G when deflected downward to be received within the inner face of the stringer.

II is a slotted slide supported and guided by beveled pins setin the inner face of each stringer A. \Yhen the slide is moved forward, it allows the pin G to be straightened and inserted or removed.

A is a keeper on the stringer A and serves to limit the movement of the slide ll.

hen the chair is adjusted for use, the pins are inserted through the parts 1V A and through the intermediate brace F, and the hinged end G of each pin is folded downi ward into the recess and the slide II is moved rearward to cover it. This looks the hinged part G in the angular position and effectually prevents the pin G G from being withdrawn. In this condition the chair may be used with any ordinary or extraordinary degree of roughness without disturbing the position of the brace I, and consequently of the back legs E.

I I are the front legs. They a re pivoted to the front ends of the side pieces A by pivots 1', and are connected across by horizontal braces 1 and diagonal braces 1 \Vhen the chair is folded, the frame composed of these front legs I I, with their transverse braces I I is folded backward against the under side of the seat.

On the inner face of each front leg I, near the lower end, and in the corresponding position on the inner face of each back leg E, near the bottom, is riveted a piece of sheet metal E 1, between each of which and the corresponding leg is a sufficient space or socket to receive one end of a removable hori zontal brace J, formed with shoulders J. These braces J J are removed when the chair 'is to be folded, and maybe packed therewith hardbrass, may be used for portions or the whole of the metal parts. Other materials, as wrought or cast metal, may be used for the portions described as wood. It is necessary to hold the sides of the scat efficiently apart; but obviously a portion or the whole of the cross-pieces A may be flexible. The

entire middle portion of the seat may be a.

sheet of canvas, if preferred. The thickness and width of the sheet-metal parts maybe varied within wide limits. The stiffness of all these parts, except such as are required to spring, which latter are the parts 13 and a portion or the whole of 1), may be increased. I prefer that in the folded condition the uprights 1% lie, as shown, within, and the back legs E lie, as shown, without, the side pieces A" of the seat; but this precise relation of these parts is not absolutely essential.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In a chair, the combination, with the uprights pivotally connected with the seat, of the web secured to the uprights, the spring secured to the web and having at its upper end eyes adapted to receive pivots on a transverse spring, and a yielding back secured to said spring and adapted to rock on the pivots and allow the back to tilt, substantially as specified.

2. In a chair, a transverse spring, a pair of upright springs having eyes, and a tilting back formed 011 a compound curve and curved webs to the rear of said springs, said springs being free to extend their effective lengths as the strain on them is increased, as set forth.

3. In a chair, a transverse spring supported in eyes, a tilting back supported on such spring and rocking with the spring in such eyes, a pair of upright springs supporting the eyes, and bearings for such springs arranged to extend their effective length and stiffen the springs as the strain on them is increased, all substantially as herein specified.

4-. In a chair, a pair of back legs capable of partial rotation on pivots l) at the junction of the seat and braced together to give lateral stiffness and turning on said pivots, combined with the seat and with hinged braces extending obliquely between the back legs and the seat and removably held at their inner ends and arranged to hold and release the back legs at will, removable horizontal braces, and diagonal braces between the legs, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with the seat, hinged braces F, pivoted to the back legs, and back legs pivoted to the seat, of the flexible or jointed locking-pin for holding the braces F to the seat, and comprising a pin having a head at its outer end, ahinge at its inner end, and an extension connected to the hinge, substantially as specified.

6. In a chair, the combination, with the seat, of front legs pivoted to the front edge of the seat, back legs pivoted to the rear edge of the seat, the removable braces J and J, connecting the rear and front legs, the braces F, pivoted to the back legs, and the locking-pin G, securing said braces F to the seat, substantially as specified.

7. In a chair, the rear uprights R. pivoted at 12, carrying the springs B and divergent bearings, the transverse spring 0, pivoted on the springs B and the back D, fixed on the 1;

my hand, at New York city, New York, this 20 30th day of October, 1889, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY MILLER. Witnesses:

CHARLES F. BARTER, CHARLES K. SEARLE. 

